The magic of Bali extends far beyond its picturesque beaches, imposing mountains and unique culture. It is also reflected hundreds of metres offshore in numerous spectacular diving sites. The unspoilt north coast in particular enchants on land and especially underwater. A diverse and colourful underwater world awaits discovery when diving in the north of Bali. From diverse reefs, coral islands, steep walls to shipwrecks, you will find numerous magical diving spots off Bali.
Muck Diving
The north coast of Bali is also a paradise for muck diving. In so-called muck diving, you slowly dive over volcanic sand and search the black bottom for unusual and strange sea creatures. This appealing type of diving is full of surprises, as you become an explorer. You can often observe unique creatures such as seahorses, extraordinary snails and colourful crabs. Indonesia is the epitome of muck diving and, in addition to Lembeh Strait in Sulawesi, Bali is also one of the most popular diving areas with a volcanic floor teeming with life.
The diving paradise in the northeast of Bali: Tulamben
This small village in the northeast of Bali attracts divers with a diverse underwater world, an extraordinary shipwreck and an imposing steep face.
USAT Liberty wreck
The Liberty shipwreck, in particular, which lies just a few metres from the beach, makes for an unforgettable diving experience. As the wreck lies at a depth of 5 to 30 metres, this diving spot is also suitable for inexperienced divers and snorkellers. The Liberty wreck is barely recognisable as a ship, as it is deformed and heavily overgrown, and is now home to many colourful fish. Exploring the Liberty is a rewarding dive with plenty to discover: anemone fish, rays and colourful shoals of fish. As the wreck lies on black volcanic sand, this diving area is also suitable for muck diving.
Tulamben Wall
Another breathtaking diving spot in Tulamben is the overgrown steep wall at Tulamben Drop-Off, also known as Tulamben Wall. This imposing underwater wall was created by the lava flow that poured into the sea during the 1963 eruption of Gunung Agung. The vertical underwater cliff plunges to a depth of over 70 metres and enchants with overhanging rock formations covered with corals, plants and sponges. The drop-off is an ideal habitat for a variety of marine life, including seahorses, angelfish, anemone fish and bumphead parrotfish, and is the perfect place to discover Bali’s fascinating underwater world. As the depth of the dive can be adapted to your level of experience, this dive site is suitable for all levels of divers.
The perfect spot for muck diving fans: Puri Jati
This world-famous muck diving site is located in the middle of the north coast of Bali, just west of Seririt. On easy and relaxed dives, you can search for some of Bali’s rarest and most unusual marine creatures among the seagrass and sea feathers on black volcanic sand. Highlights of this unique Bali dive site include rare octopuses, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs and an abundance of weird and wonderful bottom dwellers! This Bali dive site is an absolute must for photographers.
Discover the underwater world in northwest Bali
The wild and sparsely populated northwest of Bali is home to the world-famous diving havens of Pemuteran and Pulau Menjangan.
Enjoy the relaxed (underwater) life of Bali in Pemuteran
The diving centre of Pemuteran is located on the north coast of Bali, with a view of Menjangan Island, which is a nature reserve. This area boasts breathtaking scenery, rice fields and unspoilt Balinese rural life.
Not far from the beautiful landscape, you can dive into the enchanting underwater world of Bali and find a very good diving infrastructure. An artificial reef has been created close to the beach, which has quickly been overgrown with corals in the nutrient-rich waters of Pemuteran. It now attracts a wealth of animals and fish. Lionfish, trevally, moray eels and ribbon eels, nudibranchs, batfish and shoals of yellow snappers and mackerel cavort here off the coast of Bali. This makes Pemuteran a great place for a relaxed dive from the beach, because there is always something to see. It is also the ideal place to learn to dive in Bali and to explore the diving spots in the northwest of the island.
Colourful diversity around Menjangan Island
The area around the world-famous Menjangan Island, which is located in the Bali Barat National Park, is home to some of the best diving spots in Bali. This beautiful, uninhabited island enchants above water with white sandy beaches and below water with lush coral reefs. It is equally rewarding for divers and snorkellers. The different topographies around the island, such as sloping coral reefs and famous steep wall dive sites, complement the diverse and rich underwater world. This also thrives thanks to the fact that the island is a marine reserve. Highlights include green turtles, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, large schools of trevally and tuna, and black coral. There are also a number of nudibranchs, lionfish, eels, crustaceans and octopuses.
Cave diving at Cave Point
A special dive site in Bali is Cave Point, a cave in front of Menjangan Island that lies in a vertical wall and can be visited by experienced divers. There is a window in the ceiling through which sunlight can penetrate, creating beautiful light for underwater photographers. The cave is only suitable for one diver at a time, but there are many sea creatures to observe while you wait for your turn!
Colourful diversity at Sandy Slope Reef
No visit to Bali’s north coast would be complete without a dive at the beautiful Sandy Slope. This colourful dive site is suitable for both beginner and advanced divers. With an entry point at just 1.5 metres of water on white sand, it offers a great opportunity for Discover Scuba or Open Water students to get used to the environment. Visibility here can be up to 20 metres, so you can immediately see what the dive site has to offer. For example, shoals of bumphead parrotfish, octopuses and leafy scorpionfish. With a bit of luck, you can also see larger pelagic fish passing by, such as tunas, the occasional manta ray and even whale sharks.
Discover mysterious inhabitants while muck diving in Secret Bay
The diving spot Secret Bay is located off the coast of Gilimanuk in the northwest of Bali. There is a lot of current in this relatively small, shallow bay surrounded by mangroves. This makes it an ideal underwater nursery for fish larvae and other creatures. Due to the strong tidal currents, the fish and invertebrates here are extremely healthy, colourful and well-fed, but also because the water can be quite cold and sometimes only has a temperature of 20-25°C. Between some seagrass and lots of boulders, you are very likely to find seahorses, sea snakes, frogfish and walking-stick pipefish when muck diving.
Conclusion: Who should go diving in the north of Bali?
All underwater fans can explore the diverse and colourful marine world of Bali off the north coast. The diving areas are just as varied as the lively underwater life. From wrecks and reefs to steep walls and volcanic sand, divers are offered plenty of variety. Even beginners and snorkelers can explore the lively underwater world, as some diving spots are only a few metres below the water surface and are easily accessible. And since Bali is a volcanic island, muck diving fans also get their money’s worth here and can discover rare sea creatures in the black sand.
All year round, you will find perfect conditions for diving here and the water is pleasantly warm. These excellent diving conditions are complemented by a beautiful and very unspoilt landscape on land, so every nature lover should plan a few days on the north coast of Bali.
